March 26, 2008

If US Sen. John McCain (R) of Arizona were elected president, he might wield more influence than he already does in honoring the late Mexican-American farm worker and labor leader César Chávez. Chávez long championed the cause of migrant workers, once leading a boycott of California grape-growers to leverage a union contract. In 1994, President Clinton posthumously awarded Chávez the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian award. In recent years, McCain has led the Capitol Hill charge to have the government study potential historic sites in Chávez's life. Another lawmaker has attempted to create a national holiday in his honor. So far, eight states have officially recognized his achievements, including California, which has celebrated César Chávez Day on March 31 since 1999. Some notable milestones in Chávez's life, by year: